“Tolerance” is growing to be more and more of a buzzword. There are plenty of ways to use it rightly, but unfortunately it gets thrown around a lot to give more clout to someone’s opinion by telling those who disagree that they are “intolerant,” an adjective which is supposed to make people gasp and bring great shame upon the one receiving it.
First, I should explain that it is important to make a distinction between social tolerance and religious tolerance.
From our Germany blog:
I recently came across a blog with an interesting response to American church leaders trying to help European exchange students find a good church when they return home:
“You need to realize firstly that the most of the churches to which you are sending your new believer are fundamentally broken. What used to be the heart and center of world-wide Christianity—the home of the reformation—is decidedly post-Christian. Churches are relics, museums, and empty memorials of an institution that is as worldly as they come. You are preparing to send your student away from a vibrant community that meets regularly and pushes the limits of creativity to an empty, cold stone building that might see a dozen people gather once a week for a matter of minutes to celebrate a religious ritual. Europe is less evangelical today that parts of communist China. It is harder to communicate the true meaning of the Gospel to Europeans than to Muslims in the Middle East.” Continue reading →
Do we love God like He loves us?
Most people, Christians and non-Christians alike, like the idea of unconditional love. We can understand how some people would love each other unconditionally, like parents’ love for their children, and while we may not always be sure how to give that kind of love, we tend to have little problem receiving it.
Being unconditionally loved by God is part of what makes the Gospel “good news” and is one of the hallmark differences between Christianity and other belief systems— that we do not have to earn God’s love, but He gives it freely, not because of anything we could do (Ephesians 2:4-9) but because He wants to (Ephesians 1:4-5). Continue reading
Below is a book promo video for You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church… And Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman. I haven’t read it yet but plan to once I can buy another book, especially after reading an article on Sojourners discussing more about the book and the issues it addresses— namely, that people in my age bracket are leaving church in droves because many of them are finding it to be all talk and no action: Continue reading
One of the pastors at our church recently wrote a blog addressing common questions regarding the origin of Christmas— whether or not Jesus was born this time of year, if this holiday has “pagan” roots, and whether any of that really matters when we consider celebrating Christmas:
Many skeptics contend that Christmas and Easter have pagan origins. They use this claim in a philosophical sleight of hand to conclude that Christianity is rooted in paganism and thus nothing more than myth.
I discussed alleged parallels between Christianity and paganism in a previous blog, but what of these particular holidays? Are they rooted in paganism? If so, does it imply that Christianity is mere fable?
Click here to continue reading the article.
Obviously this juxtaposition of photos is meant to evoke an emotional response. I’ll bet your response was one of the following:
Despair: “This is sad, but it’s not like we can ever really change things. There’s too much greed in the world.”
Offense: “This is unrealistic. It’s Christmas— are you really going to be a Scrooge and tell me I can’t get my kids presents because there are starving kids in Africa?”
Detached Guilt: “Ugh, that’s so true. People (not me, of course, but people in general) spend too much money on so many silly things.”
Overcompensating Guilt: “Ugh, that’s so true! Sorry kids, no presents this Christmas!”
Pride: “Yeah, that’s sad, but I work really hard for my money so I can spend it how I want to. And I donate to some charities each year so that evens things out, right?”
I realize people are convicted in different ways about what to do with their money, but in a season that is undeniably marked by overabundance and greed it is good for each of us to take a hard look at how and why we spend our money the way we do, to pray about what our convictions should be (not just what we’re comfortable with or what seems “normal”), and to reflect on whether we’re living obediently to how God has convicted each of us. Continue reading
Over on our new Germany blog I shared a cool video from Perspectives about the class we’re taking this Spring, which will help us better understand the Gospel’s global influence and how to share the Gospel in the context of a variety of different cultures.
I also shared a bit more about how the Bible clearly says that all Christians are called to be a part of missions in one way or another, and how we can think creatively about living missionally so as to be obedient to that calling on each of our lives.
Click here to check it out.
